AFCON may have come to a close with Senegal lifting the trophy, but as the final whistle blew, another powerful story was unfolding alongside the matches: the women.
The women impactfully working behind the men's national teams of Africa — the coaches, the journalists, the photographers, and the officials trusted to uphold the integrity of the game itself.
So let's get into it.
Highlights
- Across African football, women have been steadily and boldly claiming space in the men's football ecosystem — not for inclusion's sake, but because they are trusted and respected parts of it.
- FIFA-certified referees like Salima Mukansanga and Bouchra Khoubobi are commanding the pitch at the highest levels of men's competition with authority, composure, and excellence.
- AFCON viewership has grown over 500% in the last decade, reflecting a game that is evolving in who shapes it, not just who plays it.
- Brands like Rexona and Nike are showing up as champions of equity and storytelling, investing beyond sponsorship logos into content, access, and visibility for women in football.
- The future of AFCON is signaling something bigger than goals and glory — it's signaling representation, access, and intentionality.
Women Are Claiming Space in Men's Football — and AFCON Proves It Goes Deeper Than We Think
Trailblazers Who Opened the Door
Across African football, women have been steadily and boldly claiming space in the men's football ecosystem. We've already seen trailblazers like Jacqueline Jumah, who made history as a coach in Kenya's Men's Premier League, and Victoria Conteh, who stepped into technical leadership within Sierra Leone's men's league system. Both proved that tactical intelligence of the game has no gender.
But AFCON shows us the impact goes much deeper.
Commanding the Pitch at the Highest Level
Take Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda, one of the most visible symbols of progress in African men's football. As a FIFA-certified referee, she didn't just officiate at AFCON — she commanded the pitch with authority, composure, and excellence.
Alongside her, Bouchra Khoubobi, also a FIFA-listed referee, whose presence across major men's tournaments reinforces a powerful truth: African women aren't being included for inclusion's sake. They're a trusted and respected part of the ecosystem.
The Roles You Don't Always See
Beyond the pitch, women continue to influence men's national teams through sports science, communication, operations, and federation leadership — roles that directly shape performance, player wellbeing, and national football identity.
Just like great brands, football evolves when it understands that culture isn't static. It's built upon people being bold enough to challenge tradition.
The Numbers Don't Lie: A Game in Transformation
And the numbers back it up. Viewership has gone up over 500% in the last decade. That growth isn't happening in a vacuum. Women aren't just supporting the game — they're showing up, shaping strategy, protecting the integrity of the competition, and redefining what leadership in African football looks like.
The future of AFCON isn't just about goals and glory. It's now signaling representation, access, and being super intentional.
Where Do Brands Join In?
Moving Beyond Logos on Shirts
So where do brands join in all the fun? The answer is clear: brands that showed up in ways that amplify women's roles on and off the pitch did so not just for visibility as partners, but as champions of equity and storytelling.
Rexona x CAF
Take Rexona, which partnered with CAF and women's players who joined the Women's Africa Cup of Nations to deepen visibility, community access, and storytelling. Not just logos on shirts — but real engagement that elevates players and coaches.
Nike's Global Momentum
Nike also got in on the fun. While not specific to AFCON alone, Nike's What The Football campaign champions women athletes and their impact on the sport globally, which resonates with a broader movement around women's football on the continent. Nike's global campaigns are helping reshape how women's football is being marketed across Africa and beyond.
What Smart Brand Investment Looks Like
These examples show that brands invested beyond sponsorship by producing content that tells women's stories, creating campaigns that spotlight female talent, and backing initiative with dollars that push access and equity forward.
Strategic Insight: The Shift Brands and Leaders Need to Watch
What's happening at AFCON is a signal, not an anomaly. The rise of women across African football's infrastructure — from officiating to federation leadership to sports science — reflects a cultural shift that is rewriting the rules of who gets to shape the game.
For brands, this is not a cause marketing moment. It's a structural evolution. The organizations and partners that understand this will move beyond performative sponsorship into meaningful investment: co-creating content, amplifying stories, funding access, and treating women in football not as a narrative add-on but as central to the sport's future.
Football, like culture, evolves when it embraces the people bold enough to challenge tradition. The brands that align with that truth — and back it with real resources — will be the ones that matter in this next chapter.
Key Takeaways
- Tactical intelligence has no gender. The women coaching, officiating, and leading within men's African football are there because they are excellent — full stop.
- Inclusion without intention is just optics. AFCON's progress reflects women who are trusted, respected, and embedded in the ecosystem, not tokenized within it.
- Culture isn't static, and neither is football. The game evolves when people are bold enough to challenge tradition, and the brands that understand this will lead.
- Smart sponsorship tells stories, not just displays logos. The brands making real impact are producing content, funding access, and investing in equity — not just buying placement.
- The real victory echoes beyond the pitch. The rise of women within AFCON and the systems that support them is the story that outlasts any single tournament.
What's Next
AFCON may have crowned a champion (sad it's not Nigeria), but the rise of women within the tournament and the systems around it — that's the victory that echoes far beyond the pitch. And I'm here for it.
